Diploma in Oral Medicine
Information from the President
The Diploma in Oral Medicine of the EAOM was introduced by Professor José V Bagán and approved by the EAOM Executive Committee. The first sitting took place at the Athens 2012 EAOM meeting. The EAOM diploma examination will be held during EAOM meetings, however additional dates can be consulted.
The Diploma is subject to review and modification.
The next EAOM Diploma examination will be held in May 2025, preceding the opening of the AAOM-EAOM Joint Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada. The examination will be overseen by Dr. Rui Albuquerque.
General Information
Dr Konstantina Delli, EAOM Secretary General
Consultant in Oral Medicine | EAOM Secretary General
University Medical Centrum Groningen | Department of Oral Diseases, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Hanzeplein 1 | HPC BB70| Postbus 30001 | 9700 RB GRONINGEN | The Netherlands
https://www.rug.nl/staff/k.delli/research | https://www.sjogrenexpertisecentrum.nl/
Phone: +31 (0) 50 3613845
Email: k.delli@umcg.nl
Introduction
The European Association of Oral Medicine (EAOM) aims, through its Diploma, to increase knowledge among dentists and physicians who are working in the field of oral medicine, and to facilitate a pan-European level of competence in this field. The Diploma leads to the status of Diplomate in Oral Medicine within the EAOM. It has no legal status in any European country and it is not equivalent to specialist level training.
The validity of the Diploma is ten years. After that, a Certification Maintenance Examination is required. Members who have a recognised specialist status in Oral Medicine in a country where Oral Medicine is an officially recognised specialty and members with an equivalent to the specialist status in countries where Oral Medicine is not officially recognised as a specialty, may apply for exemption from the examination. The correspondence should be directed to the Secretary-General of the EAOM. The EAOM has the right to invite such applicants to present an updated curriculum vitae for further consideration.
Examination
The examination is performed usually in association with the biennial EAOM meeting, however, due to the high number of candidates, additional dates have been arranged and can be consulted here. The examination is run online. It is comprised of a multiple-choice question paper and a clinical scenario paper:
- The written examination consists of multiple-choice and/or essay questions in English and will be based on the Recommended Reading List, made available by the EAOM. The time allowed for the written element should not exceed two hours.
- The clinical scenario paper should not exceed two hours for each candidate and will be held in English. Conflicts of interest between candidates and examiners of the same nationality will be minimised as far as possible.
To obtain a Diploma in Oral Medicine, the candidate must pass both the written and cliniical scenario papers. The passing standard for each component is determined using a formal standard setting process. The results are communicated shortly after the examination. If the candidate fails in the written or clinical scenario element, that section will be re-examined at the next planned examination date. The fee for partial re-examination will be 50% of the standard examination fee. The decision of the Diploma Examination Committee is final. There is no higher body to appeal to.
The fee for the Certification Maintenance Examination is £500 (or the equivalent in Euros).
Application for a Diploma in Oral Medicine
Requirements for the EAOM Diploma are as follows:
- Practicing as a dentist or physician for at least five years
- EAOM member for at least two years
- Submission of a completed application form, accompanied by a registration fee of £50 (or the equivalent in Euros). If your application is successful, there is an examination fee of £500 (or the equivalent in Euros). Those who apply for exemption from taking the examination should only remit the application fee of £50 (or the equivalent in Euros). These sums are non-refundable. Applications are only accepted upon receipt of the administration and examination fees.
- The completed application form must be submitted to the Secretary-General (Dr. Konstantina Delli), and the payment form to the Treasurer (Dr Maria Georgaki), at least 3 months before the examination.
- The application should be accompanied by a supporting letter from the President of the National Oral Medicine association or its equivalent.
- The application must contain written information of previous clinical and theoretical education related to oral medicine, using the standard application form
Exemption from the EAOM Diploma in Oral Medicine
To be considered for exemption from the EAOM diploma in Oral Medicine, candidates must demonstrate a comprehensive and distinguished background in both academic and clinical aspects of the field. Candidates must be a member of EAOM for at least 2 years and must be in good standing with EAOM with regards to continuous registration and fees. Two options apply for exemption from the diploma and are detailed below.
Option 1:
The candidate will be considered exempt from the EAOM diploma in Oral Medicine if they have completed a nationally-recognised formal training pathway specializing in Oral Medicine of 3-5 years and have gained entry to the Oral Medicine specialist list (if applicable) in their country.
The candidate must also demonstrate continuous engagement in the Oral Medicine field through records of clinical experience, publication (>10 published peer-reviewed articles in the field of Oral Medicine) and leadership/management roles .
Evidence should be presented in form of a curriculum vitae and official diploma/registration as a specialist in Oral Medicine.
Option 2:
The following checklist outlines specific criteria and assigns a point score to each criterion. Candidates will be considered exempt from the EAOM diploma in Oral Medicine if they score at least 100 points on this checklist on self-assessment. Relevant evidence to support this must be provided.
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Advanced Degree in Oral Medicine | |
| Master’s degree in Oral Medicine | 20 |
| Doctorate/PhD in Oral Medicine and Oral Pathology fields | 30 |
| Evidence: Degree certificate from recognised course provider | |
| Research/ Publication Record in Oral Medicine | |
| >10 published peer-reviewed articles in the field of Oral Medicine (at least 5 should be original research, including data analysis and published in a peer review journals cited in the 'Clarivate Journal Citation Reports' . | 15 |
| Authored or co-authored of a book or book chapter in the field of Oral Medicine | 10 |
| Successfully securing research grants or funding in the field of Oral Medicine | 5 |
| Contributions to innovative practices, technologies, or methodologies in the field of Oral Medicine | 5 |
| Evidence: Compilation of published articles including publication date, journal name and impact factor, Details of book or book chapter including publisher information, e.g ISBN | |
| Advanced Courses in Oral Medicine | |
| Completion of a postgraduate course or certificate in Oral Medicine i.e. 1 or 2 year diploma 10 points for 1-year postgraduate qualification 15 points for ≥2-year postgraduate qualification |
10-15 |
| Attendance at international conferences or workshops in Oral Medicine 1 point per conference/workshop attended with a maximum of 5 points |
1-5 |
| Evidence: Certificates from recognised course provider, specialist registration details, certificates of attendance from international conferences/workshops e.g. AAOM , EAOM, WWOM | |
| Clinical Experience in Oral Medicine | |
| > 10 years independent clinical practice in Oral Medicine | 15 |
| Evidence of leadership in Oral Medicine clinical research projects | 5 |
| Evidence: Formal documentation of clinical practice and duration from employer, details of research projects and leadership role | |
| Professional Leadership and Contributions | |
| Leadership roles in national or international Oral Medicine societies, committees or organisations | 10 |
| Contribution to Oral Medicine national policy development or advocacy | 5 |
| Contribution to national clinical guidelines or protocols in Oral Medicine | 5 |
| Evidence: Formal documentation of leadership roles, contribution to policies and/or guidelines | |
| Teaching and Mentorship | |
| Teaching experience in Oral Medicine at a recognized institution | 10 |
| Mentorship of residents or junior clinicians in Oral Medicine | 5 |
| Development of educational resources or materials for Oral Medicine practitioners or students | 5 |
| Evidence: Formal documentation of teaching and mentorship provided by recognized institution | |
Total: 141-150 points
Following self-assessment score of 100 points or above, candidates must submit their portfolio of evidence to the EAOM for review. Evidence must provide an accurate and thorough representation of their qualifications and contributions to the field of Oral Medicine.
Formal review by the EAOM Educational Committee will determine whether a candidate is exempt from the EAOM diploma examination.
The EAOM Education Committee will include the representative of the Region the Candidate is applying and two representatives from other two regions chosen by the Head of the Educational Committee.
This will be chaired and the Head of the Educational Committee.
Those who apply for exemption from taking the examination should only remit the application fee of £500 (or the equivalent in Euros). These sums are non-refundable. Applications are only accepted upon receipt of the administration fees.
The completed application form must be submitted to the Secretary-General (Dr. Konstantina Delli), and the payment form to the Treasurer (Dr Georgaki Maria), at least 3 months before the examination.
Correspondence
All correspondence in relation to the Diploma in Oral Medicine should be directed to:
Dr Konstantina Delli, EAOM Secretary General
Consultant in Oral Medicine | EAOM Secretary General
University Medical Centrum Groningen | Department of Oral Diseases, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Hanzeplein 1 | HPC BB70| Postbus 30001 | 9700 RB GRONINGEN | The Netherlands
https://www.rug.nl/staff/k.delli/research | https://www.sjogrenexpertisecentrum.nl/
Phone: +31 (0) 50 3613845
Email: k.delli@umcg.nl
Dr Rui Albuquerque
Consultant in Oral Medicine | EAOM Region 1 Representative | Chair EAOM Education Committee
Department of Oral Medicine
Guy’s & St Thomas’s NHS Foundation Trust | London |SE1 9RT | UK
Email: rui.albuquerque@gstt.nhs.uk
Professor Stefano Fedele, EAOM Treasurer
University College London and University College London Hospitals Trust
Eastman Dental Institute and Hospital
Oral Medicine Unit
UCL Eastman Dental Institute
256 Gray's Inn Road,
London WC1X 8LD, UK
Email: s.fedele@ucl.ac.uk
Recommended Reading List
1. Textbooks
There are various textbooks in Oral Medicine available, none being superior to the other.
2. Papers in Journals
Oral Medicine related papers in journals such as Medicina Oral, Oral Diseases, the Journal of Oral Pathology & Medicine, and the Journal of Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology and Endodontics from the four full calendar years before to the year of the examination.
3. Requirement of basic knowledge and understanding
The principles of basic science, including applied anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathology, microbiology and immunology relevant to disease management should be understood. The list below is designed to guide the candidate to the general scope of the examination and should not be regarded as exhaustive:
- Bacterial infections of the oral cavity including tuberculosis and syphilis
- Fungal infections of the oral cavity including candidosis
- Viral infections of the oral cavity including herpes, human papilloma and coxsackie viridae and childhood exanthems
- The oral manifestations of HIV infection
- Diseases with a known or likely immunological aetiology affecting the oral mucous membranes including recurrent aphthous stomatitis, Behçets disease, angina bullosa haemorrhagica, lichen planus, vesiculobullous diseases and connective tissue diseases
- Oral potentially malignant disorders: diagnosis and management
- Malignant tumours of the oral cavity and head & neck region
- Salivary gland disease including xerostomia, Sjögren’s syndrome, infections, tumours and necrotising sialometaplasia
- Inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesions and conditions of the jaw bones
- Odontogenic cysts and tumours
- Orofacial pain, including that of dental, neuropathic and psychogenic aetiologies
- Oral mucosal soft tissue swellings
- Oral mucosal conditions occurring on the specialised mucosa of the tongue.
- Oral malodour and chemosensory disorders
- Cutaneous and adnexal manifestations of oral mucosal disease
- Detrimental oral habits including substance abuse
- Oral mucosal diseases of familial origin with or without a hereditary background
- Systemic disease compromising dental treatment
- Oral manifestations of systemic disease
- Disease whose management would benefit from referral to other medical, surgical and dental specialists
- The appropriate request and interpretation of haematological, chemical pathology and immunological investigations relevant to the clinical diagnosis of the patient
- To prescribe a method of imaging (radiograph, ultrasound, computerised tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, nuclear medicine) appropriate to the diagnostic needs of the patient and have the appropriate skills in applied anatomy to interpret the result
- To undertake appropriate microbiological sampling (swabs, smears, saliva, tissue) and interpret the result
- To understand the clinical pharmacology of drugs used in oral medicine practice
- To recognise when drug monitoring is available, that it is undertaken correctly and alter therapy on the result
- To understand the role of psychological intervention in the management of functional orofacial pain
- To understand the role of laser and photodynamic therapy in the management of oral mucosal disease
- To competently assess the outcomes of treatment and provide the appropriate level of after care and preventive education
- To have a detailed knowledge of the management of medical emergencies and resuscitation
- To understand the principles of cross infection control
- To understand the principles of epidemiology, statistics and clinical information technology